Trout Unlimited Announces 2018 Youth Fly Fishing Education Programs

Posted by Jim Schmiedeskamp, Community Contributor

The Oak Brook chapter of Trout Unlimited-serving Chicago's western and south suburbs-is offering free introductory one-day youth fly fishing classes. The program is open to boys and girls 11 years and older.

The Oak Brook chapter of Trout Unlimited-serving Chicago's western and south suburbs-is offering free introductory one-day youth fly fishing classes. The program is open to boys and girls 11 years and older. (Posted by Jim Schmiedeskamp, Community Contributor)

Free Local Youth Fly Fishing ClassThe Oak Brook chapter of Trout Unlimited-serving Chicago's western and south suburbs-is in its 14th year of offering free introductory one-day youth fly fishing classes. The program is open to boys and girls 11 years and older. Participants receive an easy-to-understand overview to the sport of fly fishing. The program is designed around the requirements of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) Fly Fishing Merit Badge, so scouts who successfully complete the class will have met all the requirements of the merit badge.

All fly fishing equipment and fly tying materials are provided by the Oak Brook Trout Unlimited chapter. There is no cost to participants. Classes consisting of 15 participants are scheduled at the Camp Sagawau Environmental Education Center in Lemont.

The Youth Fly Fishing Program runs from 8am to 4:30 p.m. on five Saturday dates as follows: • May 12• June 23• July 21• August 11• September 15

Classes are based at the Camp Sagawau Environmental Education Center - a unit of the Cook County Forest Preserves located at 12545 West 111th Street, Lemont, IL, with fishing on nearby Cook County Forest Preserve ponds and Lakes in the Palos area.

Trout Unlimited Conservation and Fly Fishing Summer Camp in MichiganThe 11th annual edition of the Illinois Council of Trout Unlimited Youth Conservation and Fly Fishing camp is scheduled July 22-27, 2018 at the RAM Conference Center in Roscommon, Michigan.

The 2018 camp delivers a rigorous introduction to the sport of fly fishing on the famed Au Sable River in Michigan while also developing the next generation of cold water conservation advocates. An experienced Trout Unlimited mentor team will conduct fly fishing instruction and guide twelve 13- to 18-year-old campers through prime time morning and evening trout fishing sessions on several sections of the Au Sable River. Throughout the mid-day periods, field trips include an electro-shock survey of the local trout population, entomology surveys to capture and identify aquatic insect life, a stream improvement project to enhance trout habitat, a trout dissection with anatomy lesson, and explorations of the natural environment and its history.

The camp mentors and instructors will be comprised of Trout Unlimited members from Illinois and Michigan, along with biologists from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Michigan State University, Western Michigan University, a private cold water conservation company, and naturalists from Hartwick-Pines State Park.

"The camp is designed to be an intense experience that makes a significant impact on youth," said Willie Beshire, Oak Brook Trout Unlimited board member and camp director. "Campers will learn more about conservation and fly fishing in a week than most of us learn in a lifetime. It is an enjoyable and educational experience."

The camp cost includes round-trip transportation from Chicago, lodging, meals and equipment. The tuition fee is $575 (comprised of a $75 deposit at the time of application plus a $500 remaining balance due one month before camp). Sponsorship is available for campers with financial need. For more information, including an application please visit the Oak Brook Trout Unlimited website (obtu.org).

About Oak Brook Trout UnlimitedOak Brook Trout Unlimited is dedicated to conserving, protecting and restoring cold water fisheries and their watersheds in the Midwest. The Oak Brook Chapter is comprised of over 1,200 members from Chicago's western and south suburbs and downstate Illinois and is part of the national Trout Unlimited organization (www.tu.org).

Oak Brook Trout Unlimited fulfills its mission through advocacy and education efforts regarding the impact of pollution and soil erosion on water-based ecosystems, and by engaging volunteers in hands-on projects to improve and rehabilitate cold water river systems. For more information about Oak Brook Trout Unlimited, visit www.obtu.org

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